LeBron James may no longer reside in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, but it has never left his mind. He’s always addressed the needs of the community. Previously the NBA superstar opened the LeBron James’ I Promise School to help close the achievement gap of students in the community. Now he is looking to address another concern of the community: healthcare.
The LeBron James Family Foundation announced plans for I Promise HealthQuarters, a new multimillion-dollar medical facility in Akron.
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Inside the facility
According to the foundation’s Twitter, the facility will be within walking distance from the I Promise school and available to all I Promise students as well as the Akron community. The facility will be right across the street from House Three Thirty (James’ restaurant and entertainment complex that is currently under construction) and offer medical, dental, mental health, and eye care services. Families in the community will also be able to enjoy the benefits of outdoor green space for recreational activities.
“When our families expressed a need for more healthcare services… we went to work. Today, we’ve come together with 3 organizations, @AxessPointe, @ColemanServices, & @pegsfoundation to create I Promise HealthQuarters to offer a variety of services ALL under one roof,” the foundation wrote.
These partnerships will bring services and staffing to I Promise HealthQuarters, according to cleveland.com.
Construction on the multimillion-dollar project will begin to transform the existing Bell Music Co. building into a full-fledged medical facility set to launch in 2023. The I Promise HealthQuarters will be housed at 533 W. Market Street.
This facility will also complement the I Promise Housing, which is currently under construction and will offer affordable housing options for partner families.
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“It takes a village to help raise a kid and make a true difference! Love my kids and their families!”, the Lakers star and recent billionaire wrote on Twitter as the news of the facility broke.
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Surviving the healthcare system
Michele Campbell, executive director of The LeBron James Family Foundation says the idea behind the facility is to remove barriers and obstacles to success for the 1,600 students and families they serve by improving their access to healthcare.
“This is a way to open our doors to other people too,” she says. “Access to affordable healthcare has always been a critical need for our families—and further heightened by the pandemic—so we began rallying our community to